Hot-air furnace.



No. 876,682. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

A. M. BEALE. HOT AIR FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1907.

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A. M. BEALE.

HOT AIR PURNACE.'

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1907.

' PATENTBD JAN. 14, 1908.

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ARTHUR M. BEALE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOT-AIR FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application flied January 14. 1907. Serial No. 352,082.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. BEALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hot-Air Furnaces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention comprises various improvements in hot-air furnaces by which I am enabled in a novel and efficient manner to utilize more completely than heretofore possible in practice all the heat which is generated by the Vfire in a furnace, in consequence of distributing the heat and products of combustion over surfaces which are contiguous to the pure air to be heated, and conducting the said products of combustion past such surfaces in thin layers, and in not permitting any of the products of combustion to escape 'from the furnace without touching some portions of the said surfaces. The improvements also enable the amount of heat to be sent to different rooms or portions of a house to be equalized, and also enable those rooms or portions of the house which are hard to warm to be warmed by direct and independent currents of hot air, and each house as a whole to be treated so that the different rooms or portions thereof may be equally warmed.

I have shown in the drawings the invention embodied in the best form or construction which I have thus far devised.

In the drawings,*Figure 1 shows in central vertical section a hot-air furnace containing an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal'transverse secw tion in the plane of line 2, 2, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal transverse section in the plane of line 3, 3, of Fig. l. Fig. 4 shows in plan, partly broken away to illustrate internal construction, the smoke-ring of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a Afront elevation, partly broken away, of the lower portion of the drum 5, hereinafter described. Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the said drum. Fig. 7 is a view in vertical section in the plane indicated by the dotted line 7, 7, in Fig. 6, looking in the'direction indicated by arrows at the ends of such line.

Having reference to the drawings,-at 1 is shown the outer shell or casing of the furnace in which the invention is represented Above the fire-pot I place a drumii, th

bottom 51 of which extends over the 'fire-pot.

The interior of the said drum is in communication as presently will be explained with the cold-air box and in practice is also in more or less direct communication with the iiues leading from the furnace, so that cold fresh air may enter from the said cold-air box and after being warmed within the drum may be delivered through the flues at the different points of distribution. For the support of the drum the fire-pot 2 is formed at its top with an exterior flange 6, Fig. 1, extending obliquely upward and outward from the body of the iirepot, and the drum is provided at the bottom, at and adjacent the` periphery thereof, with 'feet 7, 7, etc., Figs. l, 5, 6 and 7 shown also in dotted lines, Fig. 2, which rest upon the said flange and the body of the 'fire-pot as shown in Fig. 1. In the said flange and feet are registering openings S, S, Figs. l, 2, 5 and 6 through which the fresh air enters on its way from the cold-air box into the drum.

At 9 is a shell which iits over and surrounds the drum 5, and is supported by its lower edge resting upon the margin of the flange 6. See Fig. 1. The said shell in closes at the outside of the drum, around the periphery of the latter and also above its top, a narrow space 10 constituting a passageway for 'products of combustion and heated air rising from the fire. These issue from the combustionchamber into the said narrow passageway through openings at 11, 11, etc., Figs. 5 and 7, also shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, formed below the bottom 51 of the drum in the downwardly extending peripheral skirt or flangev52 with which the drum is provided. In the drawings the said openings alternate in arrangement with the feet 7, 7, etc., but` the number, size, and arrangement of the openings, and the location thereof with reference to the feet 7, 7, will vary in practice, according to the requirements needing or desired to be met. In the top of shell 9 is a centrally-located outlet 12 for the products of combustion, etc., from which a pipe 13, Figs. 1 and 4, extends up wardly and then radially outward, the said pipe connecting at its rear end with and opening into the rear portion of a smoke-ring 14 occupying the space at 15 within the upportion of the smoke-ring, for the purposes of a direct draft, or close the former opening and open the latter one, for the purposes of an indirect draft, all as will be clearly apparent. The peripheryT of the shell 9 is separated from the exterior casing 1 by a narrow space 19 through which fresh air to be heated may flow upward from the cold-air box into the space 15.

At 20, 20, etc., Fig. 1, are outlets at the top of the casing 1, intended to have applied thereto in practice flues (not shown) for conducting the heated air from the space 15 to the required points.

At 21, 21, Fig. 1, are short connecting pipes set in openings in the tops of drum 5 and shell 9. One of the said pipes 21 in Fig. 1, (and others of the series, though not necessary to be shown in the drawings) opens from the interior space of the drum 5 into the space 15, permitting iiow of heated air to take place from the former to the latter. Another of the said pipes 21 in Fig. 1 (and others of the series, not necessary to be shown) has applied in connection therewith a pipe 22 leading through the space 15 to an outlet at the exterior of the top of the casing 1, as Ishown in Fig. 1. A flue (not shown) applied to this last outlet Awill conduct the heated air discharging through the said pipe 22 to the required point of delivery. The pipe 22 is rectangular in cross-section in the intermediate portion of its length, and has formed in one side of such portion an opening 23 through which communication may be had with the top space 15. The pipe is pros vided with a swinging damper 24, working in the rectangular portion, which may occupy either the position which is shown in Fig. 1 in full lines, or the position which is indicated in the said figure by dotted lines. In the former or full-line position of the damper, iiow through the pipe to the flue aforesaid (not shown) is prevented, and the heated air from the interior space of the drum 5 passes through the hole 23 into the space 15, to

.issue through the outlets 20, 20, etc., and

their connected lues. 1n the latter or dotted-line position, they opening 23 is closed, and flow through the said pipe 22 into the connected flue is permitted to take place. 1n practice, the entire contents of the drum 5 may discharge through one or more pipes 21 directly into the space 15, in which case the pipe or pipes 22 will be omitted, or may discharge through one or more pipes 22 directly into one or more flues.

1t will be perceived that heat reaches the bottom of the drum 5 by direct radiation from the fire, and also is conveyed thereto by currents of the products of combustion and heated air rising from the re and iiowing in contact therewith. 1n the movement of the said products of combustion and heated air upward through the narrow space or passageway 10 after issuing through the slots. 11, 11, etc., the heat thereof is communicated to the shell of the drum and also to the interior shell 9. The heat thus received by the bottom and shell of the drum is imparted to the air within the' drum, while that received by the intermediate shell 9 is imparted to the air occupying the narrow s ace 19 between the intermediate shell 9 an the external casing 1. By reason of the narrowness in cross-section ofthe passageway 10 between the periphery of the drum and the intermediate shell 9, all portions of the flow of products of combustion and heated air passing away from the fire are caused to make contact with the said periphery and intermediate shell, and a maximum heating effect is attained. Also, in consequence of the narrowness of the passageway 19 between the intermediate shell and the external casing, all portions of the fresh air passing through the said passageway are caused to make contact with the outer surface of the said shell and thereby effectively are warmed. The surfaces of the wall of drum 5 and the shell 9 may, if desired, be corrugated or wavy, or otherwise formed to increase the extent of such surfaces, and promote the heating of such wall and shell by the passing products of combustion, as well as the warming of the air as it travels in contact with such surfaces.

Each foot 7 of the drum 5 is formed as a portion of a leg 25, Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 7 which is connected with the bottom 51 of the said drum, and located at the underside of the said bottom, as indicated in full lines in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7 and by dotted lines in plan in Fig. 2. Each leg extends radially outward from the center of the drum, and communicates with the interior space of the drum through an opening 26 located near the said center. The number of feet and legs may vary in practice. The fresh air entering by way of the opening S in a foot 7 passes inward toward the center within the corresponding leg, and rises through the corresponding opening 26 into the interior space of the drum. The leg is deep and narrow, its opposite side-walls being close together, so

out between the said side-walls in a thin layer. This facilitates the heating of the air by bringing all ortions thereof into contact with such wal s. At the same time, the position of the leg immediately above the fire, where it is exposed fully to the currents of heated air and products of combustion rising from the fire, and to the directly-radiated heat, combined` with the great extent of exposed surface at its exterior, insure the effective heating thereof. Consequently, the radiated heat of the fire., and the heat carried by the products of combustion, etc., are effectively utilized in warming the air as it flows in a thin stream through the leg into the interior of the drum. To prevent escape of the productsof combustion before they have come into contact with the outer surfaces of the respective legs, the outlets 11, 11, etc., are located comparatively low down, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 7 just slightly above the bottom portions of the legs.

lt will be perceived from Figs. 1 and 2 that the legs 25, 25, etc., projecting down from the roof of the combustion-chamber, constitute deep and narrow air-passages extending radially through the upper portion of the combuStien-chamber, and discharging upward through the said roof by way of the openings 2G, 26, etc., adjatent the center of the chamber. Also, that a vault or a kind of chamber exists between each two legs, below the bottom 51 of the drum. The result of this is that the flow of currents of produc ts of combustion and heated air rising from the 'lire will be subdivided into equal portions, and the subdivisions caused to flow radially in different directions so that after they have issued through the different openings 11, 11, etc., around the drum and as they pass upward within the space 10 they shall act upon all portions of the exterior of the drum and upon all portions of shell'Q, heating all such portions equally. Thus, flow of the entire volume of products of combustion, or the greater bulk thereof, in any given direction, involving an unequal distribution or a loss of the heat, will be prevented.

For the purpose of increasing the extent of the contact of the air flowing through the drum 5 with the heated surfaces of the drum, and insuring contact of the same with such surfaces, l provide within the drum one or more baffle-plates 27, 27, etc., Fig. 1, and arrange the said baffle-plate or baffle-plates horizontally within the drum above the inlets 26, 26, etc., so that the air entering through the said inlets encounters and is deflected by the baffle-plate or baffle-plates, and, being spread out thereby, is compelled to follow a more or less sinuous course within the drum before arriving at and issuing through the outlets 21, 21.

I contemplate in some cases subdividing the interior space of the drum in order that by connecting particular flues with` subdivisions of the said space an adequate flow of heated air through such flues shall be insured, thereby securing satisfactory warming results notwithstanding conditions which in the case of the ordinary arrangement of furnace and Hues would act to interfere with the flow. It is well-known that on account of back-pressure within the flues, the rooms on the exposed side of a house are hard to warm, particularly at those times when there is more or less wind-pressure against such side, it being difficult to force heated air from the furnace through the flues against the wind. I have shown in Fig. 2 vertical partitions 28, 28, within that part of the drum 5 in connection with Which-pipes such as that shown at 22 in Figz] are employed. These partitions divide off the internal space of the drum into segmental sections, one for each of the pipes 22. As represented in Fig. 2 the arrangement of partitions corresponds with the employment of two of the pipes 22. By spacing the partitions more or less widely apart from each other the size of the sectional chamber with which a given pipe 22 communicates may be varied to meet the requirements of use. Thus, in Fig. 2 there are represented at the right-hand side thereof a small sectional chamber supposed to be in communication with one pipe 22, and a large sectional chamber supposed to be in communication with a second pipe 22, while the remainder of the interior of the drum amounting` to .one-half thereof constitutes one large chamber from which the heated air passes by way of the short pipes 21 into the top space 15.

Preferably, I construct the furnaces with closed passageways leading from the passages for entering cold fresh air to and communicating with the openings 8, 8, of the feet 7, 7, of the drum 5. These passageways may begin at any distance from the said openings 8, 8, as for instance, at the cold-air box itself, although in some cases I contemplate causing-them to extend only part way from the feet 7, 7, toward the coldair box, far enough, however, to eliminate substantially the danger that suction through the space 19 or through the drum itself may interfere with a properly proportioned flow of the air through the drum and the said space 19. As represented in Figs. 1 and 3, portions of these passageways are formed in wings 29, 29, projecting radially from the exterior of the fire-pot 2, and other portions thereof in corresponding wings 30, 30, similarly projecting from the exterior of the shell ofthe ash-pit. However, the passageways leading to the openings of the feet of the drum may otherwise be formed or provided for, although l prefer the described construction, inasmuch as the wings 29, 29, become heated from the fire within the fire-pot, and

the entering air is more or less warmed through contact with the interior and exterior surfaces of the wings.

l claim as my invention:-

1, A hot-air furnace having an air-drum above the combustion-chamber thereof, with a series of depending diverging partitions dividing the upper portion of the combustionchamber into non-communicating vaults and having outlets for the products of combustion at the outer ends of the said vaults, the said partitions having within the same air-passages, discharging upward into the air-drum adjacent the center of the latter, and the walls of the said air-passages being exposed to the direct action of the products of combustion.`

A hot-air furnace having a fire-pot, and a roof over the said fire-pot downwardlyconcave, the said furnace constructed with airpassages adjoining the said. roof, extending inwardly over the fire-pot and discharging upward through said roof, and with outlets for the products of combustion between the outer portions of said passageways, below the concavity of the roof.

A hot-air furnace having a fire-pot, and a roof over the said fire-pot downwardly concave, and constructed with air-passageways adjoining the said roof, extending inwardly over the fire-pot and discharging upwardly through the central portion of the said roof, with radially extending vaults separated from one another between the said passageways, and with the outlets between the outer portions of said passageways and below the concavity of the roof, for the products of combustion.

4. A hot-air furnace having a lire-pot, a roof over the said fire-pot, radiating partitions dividing the upper portion of the com bustion-chamber into non-communicating vaults, the said partitions having formed therein deep and narrow air-passageways discharging upward through the central portion of the said roof, and the furnace having outlets for said vaults at the periphery of the combustion-chamber, between the outer portions of the saidpartitions, and located above the lower edges of the partitions, through which outlets the products of combustion flow outwardly from said vaults.

5. In a hot-air furnace, in combination, the fire-pot, a drum above the fire-pot, the bottom of the said drum constituting the roof of the combustion-chamber, the said drum having legs depending from the said roof and extending radially inward along the roof at the top of the combustion chamber, and within which fresh air flows and is warmedin passing into the interior of the drum, the said legs constituting partitions by which the upper portion of the combustion-ch amber is divided transversely into a series of non-communicating vaults separated from the center outward, and a shell surrounding and inclosing the said drum with. a narrow space intermediate the shell and the periphery of the drum through which the products of combustion pass on their way from the combustionchamber to the smoke-exit.

6. In a hot-air furnace, in combination, the fire-pot, a drum above the fire-pot, the bottom of the said drum constituting the roof of the combustion-chamber, the said drum having legs extending inwardly at the top of the combustion-chamber and within which fresh air flows and is warmed in passing into the interior of the drum, the said legs dividing the upper portion of the combustionchamber into non-con'nnunicating vaults and the furnace being constructed with outlets from the combustion-chamber at the outer ends, of such vaults, a bafiie-plate within the drum, and a shell surrounding and inclosing the said drum with a narrow space intermediate the shell and the periphery of the drum through which the products of combustion pass on their way from the said outlets to the smoke-exit.

7. In a hot-air furnace, in combination, the fire-pot, a drum above the fire-pot, the bottom of the said drum constituting the roof of the combustion-chamber, the said drum having legs extending inwardly at the top of the combustion-ch amber within which fresh air flows and is warmed in passing into the interior of the drum, and feet in connection with the said legs through which the fresh air enters the latter, the said legs dividing the upper portion of the combustion-chamber into non-communicating vaults and the furnace being constructed with outlets from the combustion-chamber at the outer ends of such vaults, a baffle-plate within the drum, and a shell surrounding and inclosing the said drum with a narrow space intermediate the shell and the periphery of the drum through which the products of combustion pass on their way from the combustion-chamber to the smoke-exit. v

S. In a hot-air furnace, in combination, the fire-pot, a drum above the fire-pot, the bottom of the said drum constituting the roof of the combustion-chamber, the said drum having legs depending from the said roof and extending radially inward at the top of the combustion-chamber, and within which fresh air flows and is warmed in passing into the interior of the drum, the said legs constituting partitions by which the upper portion of the combustion-chamber is divided radially into a series of non-communicating vaults separated from the center outward, a baffleplate within the drum, and a shell surrounding and inclosing the said drum with a narrow space intermediate the shell and the periphery of the drum through which the products of combustion pass on their way from the combustion-chamber to the smoke-exit..

9. A hot-air furnace having a fire-pot provided with an outwardly extending circular flange forming the top of the sides of the saine, a drum above the {ire-pot, the bottom of the said drum constituting the roof of the combustion-chamber, and a series of air-conduits extending from openings in the said flange to openings near the center of the top of the combustion-chamber, the said air-conduits being narrow and deep in shape, and the walls thereof constituting depending partitions by which the upper portion of the combustion-chamber is divided into a series of non-communicating chambers or vaults radiating from the center and through which the products of combustion are forced to ilow outwardly, and also having openings between the said air conduits at the periphery of the combustion-chamber through which the products of combustion niust flow so that products of combustion are divided up and forced in equal amounts out of these openings, and equally around the periphery of the drum and in contact equally with all parts of shell of the latter.

ing from the said roof and extending radially inward at the top of the combustion-chamber, and within which fresh air flows and is warmed in passing into the interior of the drum, the said legs constituting partitions by which the upper portion of the combustionchamber is divided transversely into a series of non-communicating radiating vaults separated from the center outward, and a shell surrounding and inclosing the said drum with anarrow space intermediate the shell and the periphery of the drum through which the products of combustion pass from the vaults on their way from the combustion-chamber to the smoke-exit.

1l. A hot-air furnace having a combustion-chamber, a roof above such combustionchamber having a series of depending radiating partitions dividing the upper portion of the combustion-chamber into separated noncommunioating vaults, and the wall surrounding the outer portion of the combustion-chamber having outlets for the products of combustion at the outer ends of the said vaults.

12. In a hot-air furnace, in combination, the lire-pot having radiating wings, a drum above the fire-pot, the bottom of said drum constituting the roof of the combustionchamber, and a shell surrounding and inclosing the said drum with a narrow space intermediate the shell and the periphery of the drum through which the products of combustion pass on their way from the combustion-chamber to the smoke-exit, the said furnace having passageways for fresh air leading to the said drum, Asaid passageways being' formed in part within the said wings of the iire-pot.

In testimony whereof I a'liix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR M. BEALE.

Witnesses:

CHAs. F. RANDALL, EDITH J. ANDERSON. 

